Small Warrior
by Kittioto
Summary: ..This story has been discontinued due to massive writer's block.. Piccolo has a son. How will this little surprise affect his life?
1. Water Tossing

  
  
  
:::Small Warrior:::  
Chapter One: A Different Kind of Pain  
  
  
  
  
It was dark and stormy tonight. The rain and lightning didn't give up for a mere second. Much like the pain I was enduring. Why wasn't it going away? It wasn't here last night... why now? Sure, I'd felt some sort of new presence from weeks before... but I'd never thought that I would get ill so suddenly. I leaned over a large body of water of some sort and puked for about the millionth time. Would it ever end?  
I managed to drag myself to the cave I knew all too well. If I could call anything on Earth home, this would have to be it. I lay there on the hard cave floor, gasping for as much breath as I could get. The cave was lit with the tiniest amount of light shining through the hole I had made long ago, allowing me to see the entire dim-lit room.  
I spotted the small creek trickling down the cave wall and inched my way over there.   
So thirsty... I hadn't managed to drink anything this morning, and now I was paying for it each time I puked. I leaned closet to the creek, reaching out with my large green hands to satisfy my thirst, but puked again and felt my guts turn. What was wrong with me? Had I picked up some horrible Earth disease? I leaned back onto the cold stone wall of the cave and let the acids in my stomach build up for another ralphing fit. Something was terribly wrong with me.   
I'd been sick before, but never like this... and being the strong fighter I am, you wouldn't think that I would. I heard foot-steps despite the distracting noises of a babbling creek and the booming thunder. "Mr. Piccolo...?" It was Gohan. What in the world was he doing here?  
  
"Mr.... Mr. Piccolo, are you okay?" Gohan ran over to help me out. "I'M FINE!" I roared, "Now why are you here!?" Gohan didn't back off, which just angered me more. "You are NOT fine Mr. Piccolo, I think we should get you to a doctor." I had to suppress a sarcastic snort. "I'm not going to some weak "doctor" with a drill in one hand and scalpel in the other, so you can FORGET that idea." Gohan just sighed. I guess I convinced him. "I felt you ki go way down... I just wanted to make sure you're alright." "Yeah, well I'm fine, so you can leave now." Gohan just rolled his eyes. "Will you PLEASE stop saying that? You're obviously sick..." Angered, I started to stand up, trying to show him that I didn't need his help. "I by no means am --" I felt my legs go weak, wobbling from side to side, and my head start spinning again. With a thud I fell back to the hard cave ground. "Mr. Piccolo!" I closed my eyes feeling nauseous. The spinning in my head wouldn't give in. I groaned in reply to Gohan, and finally blackness clouded my entire sight.  
  
___  
  
I awoke to see Gohan staring down at me, his face completely white. I blinked and groaned, even managing to sit upright. As I sat up, I realized that Gohan wasn't looking at me at all, but something else in front of me. Out of sheer curiosity, I looked down. And almost threw up again. "Piccolo... is this what I think it is?" I gulped and nodded my head.  
"It's an egg, Gohan." Gohan didn't brake his gaze on the small bluish-white sphere in front of me. "That's what I thought." For one of the first times in my life, I didn't know what to do. I just stared blankly at the shell before me. What was there to do?   
Nothing that I knew of for the moment.   
All of a sudden Gohan lunged his arm forward pointing at the egg. "Piccolo, LOOK!" I didn't need his warning, I had noticed it too. A large crack stretching across the shell, continually growing. "It's hatching, Piccolo!" I had to force myself not to make some snide remark to him for pointing out the obvious. As I watched, another small crack continued to form along the slick shell.   
Some kind of greenish-almond colored goop started to emerge from the small cracks. Then the entire shell gave way, popping open leaving the goop to gush all over the hard rock floor of my cave, like a healing wound re-opened.   
  
I stared long and hard at the disgusting sight, seeing a small light-green figure inside. Cautiously, I reached down to touch the small Namek inside. I gently picked it up, slowly wiping some of the slime off it's face. Gohan's mouth was just SWINGING open. "It... it..." He stuttered, "It's so TINY!" I ignored Gohan, he was just pointing out the obvious again... "What... are you gunna name him?" I couldn't seem to break my stare on the small version of me. "Mr. Piccolo? Did you hear me? What're you going to call him? What's his name?" I pushed another large glop of slime away from under his antenna, causing them to spring up. Careful not to hurt the young creature, I took off my cape and wrapped it around him. "Yes Gohan, I heard you..." Now Gohan raised his head to look at me. "Well, then what?" I thought hard, staring at the young face, it was already starting to open it's eyes... "Kumori." Gohan looked back down at the now-named Namek. "Kumori..." He echoed.  
  
  
  
( You liiiiiiiike???? I REALLY hope so! I'm still getting used to writing, I'm more of an artist than anything, so I'm not surprised if this chapter is too short... I have a tendency to do that. I dunno, maybe I don't have enough patience or something. You be the judge... and REVIEW! I may be my own critic, but I have a hard time with this one. And in case you were wondering, "Kumori" is Japanese for "Cloudiness, Cloudy Weather, Shadow". You've just GOTTA love double meanings... BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAA!!! Yeah, anyway, thanks for reading and chapter two should be up soon enough! ~Kitt )  



	2. A Fast Learner

( Author's Notes: Alright, you asked for it... and here it is. The second chapter. Man alive, I am SO sorry it took me SOOO long to get this chapter up! A nice long period of what... eight months? ~Gulp~ I was more pre-occupied with Dream Maker, so please forgive me. (And I DO recommend you read Dream Maker. it's one of my favorite stories to work on, AND it's TOTALLY sarcastic in some spots) ... also yes, blaming this on Dream Maker IS just a lame excuse. Fact is: I'M LAZY!!!! AND I have a lot of writer's block. ~Grins~ (Stuuuupid idiootic disclaimer) Oh yeah, and I dun not own DBZ or the characters in DBZ... or anything I may have spoofed in this story. Ah yes, and someone mentioned in a review that I didn't give the kid an INSTURMENTAL name. Well, I hafta tell you. I tried and tried to come up with a good name. But ya know, Tambourine was already taken in the Dragon Ball series and Piano too. (As if I'd ACTUALLY name him that) so what does that leave me with? "Flute"? "Keyboard"? CLARINET? NO thanks. ;) I searched all over the Japanese dictionary for a good instrument name in Jap., but couldn't find one I liked. so I went with Kumori, sense he was born on one stinkin' cloudy night. Good point though, I would have liked to carry on the whole musical thing... "chapter two should be up soon enough!" --- I stand corrected!! Yes, I'm sorry!! I CAN'T SAY IT ENOUGH!!!!!!!!! One more thing: As mentioned before in the recent chapters of Dream Maker (Of which I have regretfully not added many chapters as of late) I don't seem to have spell-check on this program, unlike the program I was using before... so if I do make a few (or more) spelling/grammer/etc. mistakes, I'm sorry... I try, but I'm not perfect!)  
  
  
  
12-11-01  
:::Small Warrior:::  
Chapter Two: A Fast Learner  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
It was the next day, and the storm had finally passed. Gohan was still here. he had told me he'd help me deal with `Kumori' for a while, then go back home to an angry Chichi. I did NOT want his help, nor had I welcomed it. but I did sympathize in the thinking of going back to Chichi. Oh yes, that I could sympathize with just fine.   
  
From what Gohan had told me, Kumori was actually being reasonable for a small child. I don't know what he was thinking though. because the little squirt was driving me NUTS.  
  
"Well, maybe he's hungry!" Gohan said, acting slightly panicked. Kumori had taken to screaming once again.  
  
"How should I know if he's hungry or not!? Just SHUT HIM UP!" I clutched my large delicate Namek ears in near pain.  
  
"How!?"  
  
"I DON'T KNOW!!!"  
  
Things went on like that for a while, unfortunately. eventually we figured out that yes, he wanted some water. GIVING it to him was a whole other story though. I'd shove the canteen down his throat, then he'd COUGH it up. OVER AND OVER again. I was going crazy. I thought I'd actually GONE crazy for a while there.  
Kumori finally stopped crying, and shut his small Namek eyes, though some-what large compared to the rest of his features.   
Gohan had calmed down as well, and was just staring down at the sleepy guy with this huge grin on his face, then looked back up at me.  
  
"He looks just like you, Piccolo."  
  
I couldn't suppress a smile at that. He REALLY did look like me. which I found quite amazing. I had no idea why I had a child. I hadn't planned on it, and DEFINATLEY didn't want it. And as you could well imagine. Nameks don't exactly reproduce the same way Humans do. So this small green creature wrapped in my cape was nothing but wonder to me. I still didn't want it. goodness no, I don't need this kind of responsibility, and I'm sure this will cut into my training time. As I stared at Kumori he turned around, gripping my cape with his fairly chubby fingers. He almost looked like Dende. but definitely smaller, and some of the features were different.  
  
"Yeah, I guess he does, Gohan." I nodded. I needed to break the silence. It's not me to dislike peace and quiet, but after all that yelling and screaming I felt a little obligated.  
Gohan smiled and looked down at Kumori, then leaned back on my cave wall, looking quite relaxed. I myself was sitting cross-legged on the cave floor, with the wrapped up Kumori in my lap. I'd have to get used to that too, I suppose. What a pain.  
  
"Ya know, Piccolo." Gohan began. "You should really. nah, never mind."  
  
"WHAT is it, Gohan?" I didn't like it when he played these games, and I wasn't in the mood.  
  
"Well." The fourteen year-old version of Goku scratched his head. "Maybe. maybe you should have a party for Kumori!" That actually caused me to look up.  
  
"WHAT?"  
  
"Um. you know, Mr. Piccolo, a party!"  
  
"NO." Once again, my usual answer.  
  
"Aaaaw, c'mon Mr. Piccolo!" He leaned back up to look at Kumori and I. "He's so CUTE, he DESERVES a party!"  
  
"I said NO, Gohan. I mean it."  
  
"But Mr. Piccolo."  
  
"NO!"  
  
Gohan just shut his mouth with a shrug and leaned back again. "Well. it's an idea anyway."  
  
I grunted and closed my eyes.  
  
"Hey Piccolo." Gohan started again. "What kind of outfit are you going to buy him?"  
  
I had to suppress pure idiotic laughter, and faked it with a grunt. ""Buy"? Buying is for WOMEN." Gohan raised an eyebrow at that.   
"Well. he's got to wear SOMETHING, right?"  
"Yeah."  
"Well WHAT?"  
I sighed. "I'll give him an outfit like mine." Sure, why not?  
  
Gohan looked happy enough with that answer and shut up again.  
  
"Hey, Mr. Piccolo."  
  
"WHAT?" Couldn't get him to shut up for more than two minutes.  
  
"Can I hold him?"  
  
"I don't care!" I shoved Kumori. well, HANDED him anyway, to Gohan as gently as I could. Immediately Kumori's eyes popped open and began to glance all over the place. Sure was a fast learner.  
  
"Waa. waa. WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Not AGAIN!  
  
"Quick, quick, GIVE HIM BACK!" I panicked. Gohan gave him back and Kumori almost immediately quieted down when he saw me. Yeesh. why'd he do that?  
  
". Looks like you're stuck with him." Gohan commented.   
  
"What do you mean, "Stuck with him"?" I re-wrapped the cape around the small green figure, hardly even acknowledging Gohan's comment.   
  
"Well, I guess he knows you're his mom. rr. dad. or. whatever, and it's going to be a while until you'll be able to leave him alone."  
  
Those words sunk in like a brick on the water.  
  
"Yeah. I'd say you're stuck with him."  
  
I looked at Gohan with horror drenching my face. This kid would have to be EVERYWHERE I went. I'm not what you call a kid-adorer in most cases.   
  
"Mr. Piccolo, you alright? You look a little pale." Gohan looked at me oddly as I just stared into empty space, while Kumori was actually starting to play with my heavy cape.  
  
"Mr. Piccolo. earth to Piccolo. helloooooooo.?" Gohan waved a hand in front of my face. "Is anyone aliiiive???"  
  
"CUT IT OUT!" I finally snapped out of it and snatched Gohan's hand away from my face.  
  
"You alright, Piccolo?" Gohan looked worried.  
  
"Fine, fine. just PEACHY." I felt like throwing up again. I'd always loved peace and quiet. solitude and training. just myself. I mean sure, it was nice to have Gohan around. but I like time with myself, too. This was one heavy brick sinking in.  
  
  
  
  
::: TWO DAYS LATER :::  
(Gohan)  
  
  
  
  
"Hey Mr. Piccolo!" I spotted Piccolo and Kumori sitting under a tree, almost looking as if they were taking a nap. But I knew better than that. Piccolo doesn't really take naps I don't think. As if to prove me correct, Piccolo opened an eye to look at me.  
  
"Hello Gohan." He said and carefully got up, as to not drop Kumori, whom was sitting in his lap. as usual. I just smiled goofily and ran on over.  
  
"How's everything goin'? Has little Kumo here done anything extra cute?" I teased poor Piccolo. He didn't like it when I asked how cute Kumori is. especially sense the little fella looked just like him.  
  
"I wouldn't know." Was his blunt reply. I'd expected that.  
  
Piccolo had given Kumori a nice outfit that matched his own, minus the heavy cape. now Kumori REALLY looked like Piccolo. Well, a really really SMALL Piccolo, but still, you could tell they were related. Quite easily.  
Then, to my pure emazement:  
  
"... He's learning to crawl."  
I smiled at Piccolo.  
"Wow, already? Goodness he's a fast learner..." I really couldn't believe that Kumo was learning so fast. A NORMAL child would take a lot longer to do... well... ANYTHING.  
  
"I think it's a Namek trait. I don't recall a lot of when I was small, weak and generally pathetic... but I survived. And he's growing faster, too." He said some-what off handedly. Well... if you could call ANYTHING Piccolo says off-handed. He'd always had a way of making everything sound... serious.  
  
"So I see!" I remarked and studied the small Namek. "So... when are you going to tell the others about him?"  
I could FEEL Piccolo's anger growing.  
  
"He's not READY to go ANYWHERE Gohan! And don't you DARE tell anyone about this!"   
  
"But Mr. Piccolo, you've got to show him to everyone EVENTUALLY. You can't just raise him solely around you and I out here in the middle of nowhere, right?"  
  
"He's not ready, Gohan. For crying out loud... he's not even a week old!"  
  
"Yeah, but Piccolo, you said yourself that he's growing faster than normal kids... I bet you're just being overly-protective. I mean it's only natural."   
I don't think I'd EVER seen Piccolo more stressed out then in the last few days. And I could have sworn Piccolo was... what... BLUSHING!? No way! His face was probably just a bit discolored from frustration.  
  
"I said he's not ready!!" He barked out and re-arranged Kumo in his arms.  
  
"Okay, okay, sheesh! I won't tell..." I grimaced slightly while little Kumo woke up from all the noise. Piccolo frowned as well, in the knowledge that Kumori would probably be hungry... again.  
However, to both Piccolo and my own amazement, he didn't cry. He simply blinked the sleep away from his eyes and stared at me. Man, was he cute... like a little green stuffed animal. Mom and Bulma would've LOVED to take care of the guy for a day. Buuuut, according to Piccolo, he wasn't going anywhere for a while.  
  
  
  
(Piccolo)  
  
  
  
Several weeks went by... and taking care of Kumori was becoming more and more challenging. He still seemed to be in the "Cry for Kami knows WHAT reason" stage, but now he knew how to walk. Not very well, but he knew how to get places. This posed quite a problem. And worse still - Kumori couldn't seem to understand what I was talking about when I'd tell him to stay away from something, or "NO". He clearly knew my voice, but never seemed to obey it. Gohan had suggested that it was probably because Kumo was still so young... and that made enough sense to me.  
  
I was meditating for the time-being... arms and legs crossed, eyes closed: the works. It was rarely possible for me to now, with Kumori around. I always had to keep an eye on him.  
  
Torture. That's what this was. Pure, honest and true: TORTURE.  
  
I heard a twig snap and both my eyes popped open. "Kumori, NO!" He was wandering by a stream... why, oh WHY did I have to pick THIS spot to meditate? I should have known better than to go by any real amount of water... Kumori was always curious, I should have KNOWN!  
And he, of course, did not stop. He simply looked at me blankly, turned back around to face the stream, kneeled down and....  
  
I cought him. Seconds before he fell head-first into the large stream.  
  
"Darn it, kid... when will you learn?" I snatched his collar and led him back over to where I was sitting moments before. "Now stay here!"  
... Kumori did stay. For about ten seconds. But at least he wasn't by the water anymore... now he seemed to be much more entertained by the near-by bullfrog. Who would have ever thought that children would take so much maitenance...? I couldn't understand how female mothers could do it... or why some of them would actually WANT a small annoying version of themselves or their mate around. Or I suppose in some cases a 'blend' of the two. I wouldn't know... and I don't make it my business to know. I'd prefer to leave those matters in human hands.  
Though right now I was much more conscerned by the fact that Kumori would NOT listen to me. Was it some stupid method I was using? Gohan had told me that by the time that most children could walk, they could start understanding some of the more simple words. True, Kumori had learned to walk far faster than any normal child, and perhaps he would learn slower and at a more normal rate than walking... but was that really it? I had absolutely no clue.  
  
Question was: Would I EVER GET a clue?  
  
In my history I did not spend a great deal of time with small children. Shoot, even when I started training Gohan, he was a toddler. At least he understood most words and phrases... could even count to a certain extent. THIS, on the other hand, was a whole other ball game. I was almost tempted to run to some motherly human just to get some ANSWERS.  
  
.... ALMOST tempted, that is.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
(Another Author's note: Ooohkie... I know, this is kinna short... but as mentioned QUITE FREQUENTLY before, I have a tendecy to do that. ^-^** Once again: SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG!! Yes, I will probably still be sucking up to all of you throughout the entire story, and no, I don't entirely know where this story is going. I've had quite a few ideas, but no actual plan, whereas in that way: It's the opposite of Dream Maker. Buuuut, this one does however share quite a bit in common with "Ends and Begins." (Yes, new story, YAAAAY!! ... I should REALLY just work on one, but hey, the more variety of Piccolo, the better, am I right!??) Soooo, pleeeaaase review!! I love ya'll for reviewing me! CAUSE I LOVE REVIEWS! *Duh*. Heehee.) 


	3. Some Random Thoughts

Made on: Feb. 9th, 2002  
(Piccolo)  
  
  
  
Kumori was asleep, curled up by the small fire I'd created to keep him warm... it was funny, no matter how fed-up I got with him, no matter how frustrated I became, I couldn't raises a single finger to harm the boy. I found myself barely even able to think about a day without him, with all the double-checking I had to do each day, just to make sure he didn't get hurt...  
  
... I guess I would probably now be considered a... parent.  
  
A parent.  
  
Oh, how I'd never even imagined it... I'd seen Chichi go through having Goten while he was a baby, and not once did I even imagine the thought that one day by some sick twisted joke of a thing called fate I'd have something like that to be responsible for.  
  
But there he was... curled up on the ground, with his head resting on my leg like any normal pillow.  
What was I to DO with him? To merely... RAISE him? No... that couldn't be it, could it?  
  
When... when I trained Gohan in the wilderness, the only thing that I was there for was to make sure the kid didn't get killed, and that he grew stronger.  
  
But Gohan was NOT my child. Despite the parental attitude I felt towards him.  
  
  
THIS was my child.  
  
  
And, obviously, I'd never HAD a child before. I found the entire princible of the thing... confusing. What was the point? I do understand why MY father had me... it was so I could carry out his sick plans for the earth, and, more specifically, destroy Goku.  
But... I didn't seem to have a real reason to have formed Kumori in the first place. Not to mention that I had no idea what I was doing when it came to raising him. All I could really do was... give him water, keep him away from all the natural disasters, and try not to destroy him myself.  
It was all a mystery... an on-going challenge, each and every day that he woke up. I like a challenge.   
  
--- BUT THIS IS REDICULOUS.  
  
This was not a training technic to make me stronger... this was not a mental challenge so much, either. I didn't know WHAT kind of a challenge it was... it was just... well, frankly, a challenge.  
But then, training Gohan had been some-what of a challenge as well.  
  
  
I looked down at Kumori as he shifted positions once again. He was asleep... but not soundly. It had now been officially three months since Kumori appeared in my world of things. He was still small... but definately growing. In fact, if a human were to guess his age, they'd probaly say about 1 1/2 to 2 years old... I suppose it only made sense though. I couldn't have survived on my own when I hatched if I didn't both learn and grow quickly. Then Dende... he never told me his exact age either, but I guessed it was the same for him. In all likeliness, it was just a Namek trade-mark, and nothing to really worry about.  
  
You know... not that I was actually... "worried" or anything. Maybe just... conscerned. In the general sense.  
  
Either way, it didn't matter... he would be fine, surely enough.  
  
  
Gohan hadn't been back for a few days... this made me both relieved and disturbed. I didn't... ENJOY the thought that someone knew my position. That I was a so-called "parent"... but at the same time, whenever he did come, I could train while he looked after Kumori.  
  
GREAT, now I had a baby-sitter, too. What was next? Monthly allowances?  
  
I sighed, showing my anguish aloud to no particular person other than myself. It was still dark... but on the verge of dawn. I could almost sense it coming. Dawn was whenever Kumori got up... stretched and yawned... then got into some kind of trouble or another. If I didn't know better, I'd have thought that he'd had it all planned out.  
  
Sun - Stretch - Yawn - Drink - Do who knows what - Nap - Do more of who knows what -Drink - Go back to sleep.  
  
I sighed again and wrapped my cape around his small frame. If I wasn't careful, this boy and his annoyingly common reutine would start to grow on me...  
  
After all, look and behold, it had happened once.  
  
  
  
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Author's Notes: Yes... but another short chapter. I just kinna felt like writing something tonight. ^-^ I also realize that this particular chapter didn't have much in the way of things... going on... er... action... of.... any sort... ~Pause for un-needed effect~ I guess I just sorta wanted to show Piccolo's confusion as to what to do with his new-found son, heheh! Again, I'm sort of in the dark as to where this fic will go... perhaps I'll figure it out tonight, hmm? I doubt it though... however I'll think REAAALLY hard! I have a vauge... very... VERY... vauge and sketchy outline of how this thing is going to turn out. Anyway, thank you sooo much for reading (ESPECIALLY Jesscheaux.... ::: YOU ARE SO AWESOME!! :::) and I know, I know, I've said this a million times... but review? ~Looking unusually hopeful~ I haven't been in the best of moods lately... and unfortunately... it doesn't matter, I guess. ^-^** Anywho, any advice would be helpful... and again, thanks for reading, it means the world to me. 


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